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Windows 8 could spark touchscreen laptop movement, Intel says
Much of the talk surrounding the upcoming Windows® 8 operating system from Microsoft® has been about tablet computers. But this shouldn't suggest that the OS won't have significant implications for traditional PCs as well.
In an interview with technology news provider PCWorld, Intel® product manager Anand Kajshmanan and media relations representative Alison Wesley say the OS will be big for PCs and could be instrumental in the emergence of the touchscreen laptop computer.
"We fundamentally believe in the concept of touch, and touch on a clamshell. We believe it's going to take off in 2012 or at least 2013, especially with Windows 8," Intel representatives tell the news provider. "It really feels like now is the right time, now that the hardware and software are working really well together."
Specifically, Intel believes the touchscreen will be a major component of the Ultrabook™ computer. A touchscreen would add another similarity between the lightweight and incredibly portable Ultrabook and the tablet. The former would still boast many of the features that draw users to traditional laptops.
Research firm IHS iSuppli predicts the success of the Ultrabook will be almost immediate. In 2011, the devices accounted for 2 percent of notebook PC sales. This figure will grow to an impressive 13 percent in 2012.


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LexisNexis® Risk Solutions today announced the availability of LexisNexis® Decision Trust to help financial services companies increase financial inclusion by making more informed decisions. on customer acquisition and loan applications while managing or lowering fraud rates. By generating global information from a database sourced from the LexisNexis® Digital Identity Network®, Decision Trust helps companies predict the likelihood that an application is fraudulent while reducing the need for manual analysis.
The World Bank describes financial inclusion as the access of individuals and companies to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs (transactions, payments, savings, credit and insurance) delivered in a responsible and sustainable manner. Nearly two billion adults worldwide lack access to useful and affordable financial services, despite the fact that 1.2 billion adults worldwide have received access to an account between 2011 and 2017.
However, access to transaction accounts alone has not led to increased access to credit because most lenders may have limited information on these new account holders. Not having access to credit makes it difficult for them to send and receive payments, save money, secure sustainable credit, and manage their financial lives.
This can impede access to basic services such as telecommunications and prevent people from joining the digital economy and contributing to financial development. Financial exclusion also affects small and medium-sized companies. More than 200 million companies in emerging markets lack access to finance, limiting their opportunities for growth and local economic development.
Decision Trust helps financial institutions determine the fraud risks associated with an application with the goal of greater inclusion for credit-invisible populations. While a significant portion of society in emerging countries may not have sufficient credit bureau history, this new solution provides the insights needed to include customers previously denied service due to misinformation. , while keeping scammers out.
“To improve approval rates with confidence, companies must strike the right balance between having robust processes to assess fraud risk without adding barriers that will slow down or even interrupt the customer journey,” said Brian Hirsch, vice president of financial inclusion strategy at LexisNexis Risk Solutions. “More than 30% of adults are still unbanked and remain excluded from the financial system. LexisNexis Decision Trust supports financial services organizations in their efforts to promote financial inclusion by providing additional information that enables more informed decisions about the customer acquisition and fraud risk. Leveraging global intelligence from across the industry promotes greater inclusion in populations invisible to credit.”
LexisNexis Decision Trust benefits include:
- Better acceptance rates: Lenders can reduce rejection rates caused by insufficient consumer information. Separating fraudulent applications from legitimate ones can help increase the number of credit disbursements while managing default rates.
- Improved customer experience: Near real-time insights into loan applications enable better onboarding speed and experience, higher conversion rates, and fewer requests for manual data entry, allowing for less friction.
- Lower operational costs: Allow financial institutions to perform fewer manual reviews and eliminate additional human-led steps.
LexisNexis Risk Solutions insights bridge physical and digital consumer behavior, unlocking new market segments while enabling risk exposure management. Unlike traditional data that covers only a subset of the community, the alternative data in Decision Trust comes from billions of Digital Identity Network transactions, reflecting consumer behavior across the economic spectrum and giving businesses stakeholders rich information to confidently reject or approve requests based on scoring models.
For more such updates follow us on Google News ITsecuritywire News

domain: news


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Conservative group One Million Moms decried J.C. Penney's decision to hire lesbian comedian Ellen DeGeneres to represent the brand. They protested again when the retailer released an advertisement depicting a same-sex couple.
In fact, the protests even helped them get a leg up on the competition, according to the report:
The incidents appear to be helping J.C. Penney with its closest rival, too: each time One Million Moms has protested a move from the retail chain, their consumer perception from mothers soars past the levels of Kohls.
Here's a chart showing customers' opinions of J.C. Penney and Kohl's throughout the past month:


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Extra Extra Read all about it! The Facebook Algorithm is at it again
One week ago, around December 11th, Facebook Pages across the globe and across industries suffered big drops in their Organic Reach. Meaning: posts shared by Pages are now shown to even fewer fans.
This is certainly frustrating news, as Facebook’s organic Reach had been continuously dropping for years.
Since then, many Pages tried to game this new algorithm by pushing their followers to interact with the post. For example: „Comment / share this post if you want to hear from us in the future”.
In return Facebook has just introduced a new policy, classifying these types of posts as a new kind of spam: Engagement baiting.
If you ask your friends/fans/followers to react, comment, share, tag or vote on a post as a way to bump the post to the top of people’s News Feed, you’ll actually have the *opposite* effect now: those types of posts will get demoted in News Feed.
A few examples of posts identified by Facebook as Engagement Bait:
So starting this week, Facebook will begin DEMOTING individual posts in News Feed from people and Pages that use engagement bait. Plus, over the coming weeks, Facebook will roll out stricter demotions for Pages that repeatedly use engagement bait to “artificially” gain extra reach in News Feed.
Facebook further clarifies, “We will start with posts in English that use engagement bait and plan to roll this out to other languages in 2018″.
HOW WILL THIS AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS PAGE?
- If you use engagement bait tactics in your posts, expect reach on those posts to decrease.
- If you repeatedly use engagement bait tactics, your Page will see significant drops in reach.
- Yes, you can still do CONTESTS on your Business Page! If you ask your fans/followers to like/react or comment in order to enter your drawing/sweepstakes/contests, this is fine. However, you cannot ask people to share your contest post in order to enter the contest. This rule has been in place for some time…
What you can immediately do to avoid your posts getting demoted:
- Focus on posting RELEVANT, MEANINGFUL and AUTHENTIC posts for your friends/fans/followers.
- Stay away from click-bait type headlines and stay away from inauthentic engagement-bait tactics
What to do in 2018
- Keep an eye out to learn how this change impacted other pages
- Seriously consider a significant budget for digital advertising: $$ for Facebook Paid Advertising. Yes. Facebook is a Pay-For-Play service. Although frustrating, it’s understandable for it to charge for-profit users.
- Partner with a Digital Marketer to protect your page and drive return on investment.
For more details, you can check out Facebook’s:


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PwC: digital factories shaping the future of manufacturing
Manufacturing Global gains further insight into how digital factories are shaping the future of manufacturing.
Digitalisation - a constant trend driving change within the manufacturing industry. The concept of a digital factory is challenging companies to implement innovative technology, and look for employees with different fundamental skills required in a traditional company.
Within the region leading manufacturers are deploying a number of key emerging technologies including:
Big data analytics solutions
End-to-end, real time planning and connectivity
These technologies are providing significant value within the industry in terms of efficiency and customisation. However PwC states that the full effect of digitalisation can only be realised when companies are connected in real-time to suppliers and critical customers.
PwC recent research shows that leading industrial companies are moving beyond the pilot stage and are now ready to invest in rolling out these digital solutions.
Key finds from the PwC report:
Digital factories at the top of the Agenda
PwC’s survey reports that 91% of industrial companies are investing in digital factories, however only 6% rate their factories as ‘fully digitised’.
Digital supports customer centricity and regional manufacturing
75% of industrial company participants highlighted regional manufacturing for better customer proximity, individualisation and flexibility as the main reason for further investing in their digital factories.
Digital factories on the rise
93% of respondents plan to further invest in digital factories which will be located in Germany over the next five years. While 75% are planning to set up new or expand their existing digital factories in Germany and Western Europe.
Digital factories are a strategic investment
Almost 50% expect a return on investment (ROI) from their digital operations within the next five years, while only 3% expect a ROI within one year.
Expected efficiency gains in the next five years
98% of participants named efficiency as the main reason for investing in digital factories, with an expectation to see an efficiency gain of 12% over the next five years.
Connecting factories internally and externally, through an integrated manufacturing execution system (MES) is the first step to digitalisations. In order to see the most benefits these systems need to be integrated with an ERP infrastructure to digitise across the entire supply chain.
Leaner and more productive operations
Digital technologies such as cobots, digital twins and augmented reality are helping organisations get more done, faster, and improving processes and product quality. PwC predicts that implementations of these technologies will double in the next five years.
Smart decision making
Driving digital factories forward is the use of artificial intelligence and data analytics, over 50% of companies are using smart algorithms to make better operational decisions. This form of technology will be a ‘must-have’ among future digital factories in order to stay competitive.
A digital workforce
With innovation comes new ways of working, as a result workforces will need to change and companies will need to recruit and retain employees accordingly.
Leaders of digital transformation
In order to implement a successful digital transformation, top management must lead and provide guidance.
For more information on manufacturing topics - please take a look at the latest edition of Manufacturing Global.
Image source: PwC


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Wet ‘n Wild to launch in Germany as it furthers global expansion
CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif. — Markwins Beauty’s value cosmetics brand Wet ‘n Wild has signed a deal with DMV Diedrichs Markenvertrieb to launch the brand in the German market.
On the heels of its recent announcement of singer Fergie as the brand’s global beauty ambassador, Wet ‘n Wild is partnering with the German distributor in an effort to further its global expansion.
The brand is planning for its new products, packaging and fixtures to arrive in stores in May. The collaboration targets drug and mass retailers.
"DMV is the perfect partner for Wet ‘n Wild, as Germany is the next logical target for the brand’s global expansion," stated Bill George, president and COO of Markwins Beauty. "The German economy is the largest in Europe, and German women are among the top consumers of cosmetics. Our mix of quality, fashion and value resonates with these customers, and in DMV, we have a partner that knows the market and can deliver the support that retailers and consumers need."
P&G expands job cuts as part of new $10M cost-savings program
CINCINNATI — Procter & Gamble unveiled a larger than expected cost-savings program that involves cutting a total of 5,700 nonmanufacturing jobs in an effort to trim costs by the end of fiscal 2016, said P&G CEO Bob McDonald during the company’s annual Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference in Boca Raton, Fla.
According to published reports, the cuts represent about 10% of P&G’s nonmanufacturing jobs. P&G has about 57,000 nonmanufacturing employees among its total workforce of about 129,000.
The move is part of a new plan to cut costs by $10 billion through fiscal 2016. It includes $1 billion in marketing costs and $3 billion in overhead costs.
“To put the plan in perspective, it represents a huge 60% of fiscal 2012 operating profit. We doubt P&G can achieve this full target given such a large increase since its analyst day and low headcount savings contribution (~10%); but even if P&G slight misses its goals, the plan would provide much greater EPS flex,” Morgan Stanley analyst Dara Mohensian stated in a research note.
As reported by Drug Store News, P&G stated in its second-quarter earnings call in January that it would cut about 1,600 positions by the end of the fiscal year.
According to published reports, P&G said on Thursday it would cut another 4,100 jobs during fiscal 2013, which begins in July.
In addition, P&G reiterated underlying fiscal 2012 EPS guidance but officially lowered EPS from Pringles dilution, with fiscal 2012 EPS moving down by 7 cents to between $3.93 and $4.03, and the third quarter by 2 cents to between 89 cents and 95 cents.
Procter & Gamble is selling its Pringles potato chip business to Kellogg after a deal with Diamond Foods fell through.
PLMALive: Online advertising in favor of print opens door for store-brand messaging
NEW YORK — Online advertising is overtaking print advertising, according to a new video report by David Merrefield on PLMALive.
In 2011, spending on print advertising, which includes both newspapers and magazines, was $36 billion, topping the expenditure of online advertising at $32 billion. However, this year it is projected to reverse. Online advertising spending is likely to rise to $39.2 billion dollars while print is expected to drop under $33.8 billion, according to eMarketer.
"The change has strong implications for how private-label marketing will play out against branded-goods marketing in the future," Merrefield noted. "What’s fading is print media, long the domain of branded manufacturers."
Spending on television advertising, another medium dominated by branded advertising, has reached $80 billion and appears less impacted by Internet ad spending.
By 2016, online advertising expenditures are projected to be nearly double that for print.
The video report entitled, “Online Advertising: Boon for Store Brands,” can be accessed here.


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Scientists at French research institute CNRS have assembled thousands of nano-scale machines that are capable of producing coordinated movement similar to human muscles. Led by Professor Nicolas Giuseppone of the University of Strasbourg, the research validates a biomimetic theory that has, until now, remained at the conceptual stage, according to a press release (in French) published on science.gouv.fr. The breakthrough has applications in medical technology and robotics.
Giuseppone working in collaboration with a team from the CNRS Charles Sardon Institute in Paris synthesized long polymer chains incorporating thousands of the so-called nanomachines. The chain is able to contract or expand by about 10 micrometers, increasing the range of movement of the individual nanomachines by about 10,000 times.
The research has been published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition.Norbert Sparrow


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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has revealed their playing kit for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which is being dubbed the Star Nation Jersey.
The playing kit was revealed during a grand ceremony held at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, which was led by Mr. Zaka Ashraf, Chairman of the PCB Management Committee.
Pakistan’s Star Nation Jersey signifies more than a mere piece of apparel; it embodies the profound connection between Pakistan’s cricketing heroes and their steadfast supporters.
Drawing inspiration from celestial bodies, each star symbolizes brilliance, aspiration, and the radiant glow of cricketing achievements. This design philosophy encapsulates the spirit of cricketing excellence, resonating deeply with every Pakistani cricket enthusiast.
“The Star Nation Jersey bears witness to the enduring bond between our cricketers and the passionate fans who stand by them through every match. This jersey encapsulates our rich cricketing heritage and the luminous future that awaits.” PCB’s Zaka Ashraf stated.
Meanwhile, Usman Waheed, Director – Commercial, stated, “The Star Nation Jersey isn’t just a uniform; it’s a canvas woven with stories, sacrifices, and triumphs. Each star on this jersey represents the unwavering support of our fans and the radiant legacy of our cricketing heroes. Every detail has been meticulously crafted to ensure that donning this jersey will instill profound pride in every Pakistani.”
Pakistan Star Nation Jersey for ICC World Cup 2023
Fans can pre-order the Star Nation Jersey on the PCB’s official online store, shop.pcb.com.pk. By proudly wearing this jersey, fans can show their support for the cricketing heroes and unite under a single banner as Pakistan embarks on its quest for glory in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
Read more: PCB Announces Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2023 Schedule.


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Patagonia, the iconic sportswear company that has built a global reputation on outdoor athletics and environmental activism, will no longer supply its products to the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort after a resort owner hosts a fundraising for the Right-Wing House Freedom Caucus.
Patagonia confirmed on Tuesday that it will no longer sell to the resort, its biggest customer in the Jackson Hole area. The resort company operates retail stores in Teton Village, at the base of the ski area, as well as Hoback Sports and the Jackson Hole Resort Store in nearby Jackson.
The move came after Jay Kemmerer, one of the resort’s owners, co-hosted a fundraiser on August 5, 2021 at a chic Jackson hotel for the House Freedom Caucus. U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and U.S. Representative Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) headlined the event. Admission to the event costs a minimum of $ 2,000 per couple.
The three repeated the former president’s false allegations of electoral fraud and were criticized by conservation groups for their environmental records. Patagonia and the caucus also diverge on social priorities such as the right to vote and the defense of minorities and disadvantaged groups, according to widely disseminated public positions.
Patagonia’s decision centered on “our very strong commitment to using both our company and our brand to champion our strong priorities,” said Corley Kenna, communications and policy manager at Patagonia. âWhen there is a lag on this, we take action.
The resort president said Jackson Hole is committed to taking action on behalf of the environment.
“JHMR retail will continue to offer world class brands in all of our stores with the goal of providing the best service and product assortment to our customers,” President Mary Kate Buckley said in a statement. “We have been a leader in the ski industry by adopting initiatives to reduce our energy consumption, recycle consumables used by our employees and customers, and treat the spectacular natural habitat that surrounds us with vision and care.
“We are proud to be the largest hill station today that operates 100% with wind,” the statement said. âWe will remain focused on operating a world-class hill station and protecting the health and safety of our customers and employees.â
Kemmerer’s fundraiser drew a group of protesters, some of whom suggested skiers and others should no longer support the world-class ski area by buying ski passes or doing business with it, according to one report of the Jackson Hole News & Guide. One protester, Jorge Colon, said he was ready to cancel the seasonal ski pass he bought to access the sprawling ski area, known internationally for its long runs and radical terrain.
âIt’s just a shame it got to this point,â said WyoFile Colon, an active 70-year-old who has worked in various ski jobs over the decades. “I know they provide work for a lot of people, but supporting this group … is quite embarrassing.”
Benefits vs priorities
The management of the complex has struggled to separate itself and its operations from Kemmerer’s political views. The members of the board of directors of the company published an opinion piece in the local newspaper touting the company’s environmental priorities and commitment to the community and guests and welcoming a diversity of perspectives.
Patagonia’s Kenna acknowledged a âlong and strong relationshipâ with the âworkers and management team at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, if not Kemmerer himself.
âIt’s very fair to say that Jackson Hole is a very important community to us,â she said. “We have several [sports] ambassadors who live there. Many of my colleagues love to go there and appreciate all that the region has to offer, âincluding the natural environment.
Kenna did not want to reveal how many deals Patagonia does with the ski and resort company.
âIt’s our biggest customer in a region – it’s really essential,â she said. âThat tells you something about the importance of this relationship. We don’t take the end lightly.
the House Freedom Caucus formed in 2015, and Jordan and Meadows directed it at the same time. The fundraising caucus and three conservatives have views at odds with Patagonia’s ethics.
Jordan and former US Representative Meadows received 3% and 2% of their votes on conservation issues respectively from the League of Conservation Voters. The House stripped Greene from his committee duties in February for “spreading dangerous and fanatic false information,” according to a characterization of The New York Times.
âIt’s a shame these people do what they do,â Colon said of Kemmerer, âespecially when we know as much as we know today. You can’t get away with this shit in Teton County, âhe said of the fundraiser.
Patagonia has undertaken further boycotts, but is ready to reconsider its withdrawal from the hill station, Kenna said. If the owners reaffirm their commitment to the priorities “especially to protect the planet,” Patagonia “would consider sitting down and discussing this,” she said.
Support independent reporting – donate to WyoFile today
âIt’s basically about staying true to our strong feelings and our responsibility as benefits company defend and advance our priorities, our policies to protect our planet and our communities, âsaid Kenna.


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Persistence, strength, tenacity and passion are just a few ways that some of Sub-Saharan Africa’s successful business women describe the secret to their success. This isn’t surprising; in Africa, women are more likely to be working than women in other regions, and they are more likely to be entrepreneurs than men. So, it makes sense these women have a resilience and power unmatched by many others.
Every day, we see women entrepreneurs hustling to meet their business goals and support their families. Yet, the data shows that in Africa, the performance of female-owned businesses consistently lags behind that of male-owned businesses. On average, businesses owned by men make 34% more than women-owned businesses do.
Why is that? For the past two years, the World Bank’s Africa Gender Innovation Lab and Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation Global Practice worked to find the answer to that question. Our research culminated in a flagship report, Profiting from Parity: Unlocking the Potential of Women’s Businesses in Africa. The report, which focuses on women entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa, includes extensive data analysis of new high-quality household and firm-level data to find out not only why women-owned businesses underperform, but what governments and the private sector can do to better support them.
The bottom line is female entrepreneurs do not make business decisions in a vacuum. Their decisions are impacted by many factors outside the sphere of business, and often, men do not face the same constraining factors. For example, women face time constraints based on their care obligations to their children and other family members and domestic chore responsibilities. We found that women in Uganda, Togo and Malawi, are much more likely than men to be simultaneously taking care of others while running their businesses. This limits the amount of time and energy they can dedicate to their enterprises and often leads to lower profits.
A second constraint highlighted in the report is women entrepreneurs’ control over fewer assets. While in many countries both male and female entrepreneurs are capital constrained, women entrepreneurs are a lot less likely than men to have collateral which inhibits them from accessing large enough loans. For example, in Uganda women receive 40% the total amount of credit that men receive. This inability to access large enough loans, limits women entrepreneur’s ability to make business investments and again often leads to lower profits.
The report provides a framework with seven additional gender-specific factors that hold back African women’s business performance. This framework offers structure when thinking about the obstacle’s women face and how to come up with comprehensive solutions to better support them. We are particularly excited about the deep-dive analysis included in the report on three factors: social norms, networks and household-level constraints, three areas that have limited evidence to date. Finally, the report offers policymakers solutions grounded in research on designing programs and policies to improve the performance of female entrepreneurs.
To better highlight the decision-making process and support that has allowed female entrepreneurs to succeed, we felt we needed to complement our analysis with stories from the entrepreneurs themselves – their journeys to success, difficulties they’ve faced and support they have received. This blog is the first in a series featuring African women entrepreneurs from across industries, sub-regions and experience levels. Their voices and the Profiting from Parity report findings are a call to decision makers to act now to eliminate the gender gap in business performance.
Stay tuned to learn more about these inspiring women’s journeys to entrepreneurial success and evidence-based guidance on designing programs and policies to expand opportunities for female entrepreneurs in the report.


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Travis Scott just bought a new mansion with a 20-car "auto gallery", 11 bathrooms, and 7 bedrooms.
Have you ever wondered what $23.5 million in cash looks like? Travis Scott just dropped that exact amount on a brand new mansion in Los Angeles, stunting on all of us peasants by paying for the entire thing in cash.
Usually, somebody may pay a down payment on a house before cashing in on mortgage installments every now and then. Travis Scott is not most people though. The "Sicko Mode" hitmaker just went crazy on his latest purchase, dropping mad guap and becoming neighbors with LeBron James in an exclusive neighborhood.
The hilltop house has panoramic views of the city, giving La Flame and Stormi enough room to run around and rage with 16,700 sq. ft. of space. With seven bedrooms and eleven bathrooms, Travis can sleep in a different room every day of the week. As noted by the online listing for the mansion, its exterior has been designed to mimic that of "a modern yacht."
Jean Baptiste Lacroix/Getty Images
The spot was initially being listed at $42 million last summer so this is a great deal for the rapper, who is paying nearly $20 million less than that. Regardless, this is still one of the most expensive real estate moves recently in LA.
In addition to all that living space, the house is said to include a 20-car auto gallery, as well as an actual garage with space for a dozen more whips.
Congratulations to Cactus Jack on his big purchase! Here's to a lifetime of happiness in your new home.


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BBC Three’s Wreck unveils Fortnite murder mystery mash-up
Hit BBC Three show Wreck is voyaging from passive to interactive territory by being made available to play within the popular online gaming universe of Fortnite.
BBC Three takes a stab at gaming
Metaverse specialist Metavision has teamed up with 3D Labs to translate the Euston Films cruise ship-set comedy horror into a gaming experience, inviting brave souls to board the Sacramentum in the company of an unknown assassin disguised by a creepy duck costume.
The Sacramentum Slasher experience invites players to play detective and unmask the demented hatchet-wielding avian before they become its latest victim.
Rhys Hancock, co-founder and managing director at Metavision, said: “This dynamic multi-platform campaign is laser-focused on helping the BBC develop deeper relationships with harder-to-reach gaming native audiences where they spend their time.”
Noemi Spanos, joint managing director and executive producer at Euston Films, added: “The tone of the show lends itself to high-octane gameplay and the cruise ship is the perfect confined setting to play within.”
The tie-up marks a move by the broadcaster to court younger audiences by carrying themed content across Fortnite Creative, social and broadcast.
BBC Three relaunched on television earlier this year, having spent six years as an online-only channel.


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A South Bend-based seller of musical instruments filed for bankruptcy protection this week. Now, a California company has offered to buy it.
Woodwind and Brasswind filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection Tuesday.
Court documents say a California-based Guitar Center offered on Wednesday to buy woodwind and Brasswind.
Woodwind and Brasswind's president and chief executive, says four other firms also have expressed serious interest in the company.
Woodwind and Brasswind is expected to continue operating with all of its 240 employees during the bankruptcy proceedings.


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Ethical shoppers prove they’re more than just talk
More than a third of shoppers are buying more sustainable and environmentally friendly products instead of just talking about doing so, according to Unilever.
The Anglo-Dutch consumer giant said that a study of 20,000 consumers from five countries showed that 33 per cent would “actively choose” to buy brands they believed were doing social or environmental good.
More than one in five said that they would buy a brand that made its sustainability credentials clear on the packaging and in the marketing.
The survey confirmed that consumers held high expectations that brands should have a positive social and environmental impact but also showed “an unprecedented opportunity for companies that get it right”, Unilever said.
The company said that the findings “represented a potential untapped opportunity


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The inflation rate in April climbed to 4.9 percent from 4 percent a month ago, the fastest in more than three years, due to higher prices of food, transport, oil and electricity, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Thursday.
The April inflation was also faster than the 4.1 percent a year ago. The figure brought the average inflation rate in the first four months to 3.7 percent, or near the upper end of the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.
Michael Ricafort, chief economist of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said in an email to Manila Standard the April inflation was the fastest since 5.2 percent in December 2018. PSA said the rate was the highest “since January 2019 [of 4.4 percent].”
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said the April 2022 inflation of 4.9 percent was within the BSP’s forecast range of 4.2 to 5.0 percent for the month.
“The inflation outturn is consistent with the BSP’s assessment that inflation will remain elevated over the near term due to the continued volatility in global oil and non-oil prices, reflecting largely the continued impact of the conflict in Ukraine on global commodities market,” said Diokno.
“Inflation could settle above the government’s target range in 2022, before decelerating back to target in 2023 as supply-side pressures ease. While there are signs that inflation expectation is higher for 2022, it remains broadly anchored to the target in 2023,” he said.
Diokno said inflation risks were tilted to the upside in 2022, but broadly balanced for 2023. Upside risks over the near term continue to emanate from the shortage in domestic food supply as well as from the potential impact of higher oil prices on transport fares.
Meanwhile, Diokno said the downside risks are linked mainly to the lingering threat of COVID-19 infections, as the emergence of new variants could temper the global economic recovery and prompt the reimposition of containment measures.
“Latest assessment also indicates that domestic economic activity has gained stronger traction with the easing of remaining mobility restrictions. However, heightened geopolitical tensions and a resurgence in COVID-19 infections in some countries have also clouded the outlook for global economic growth,” Diokno said.
He said the Monetary Board would review its assessment of the inflation outlook and macroeconomic prospects with the release of the first-quarter GDP growth figures, along with evidence of possible second-round effects and developments in inflation expectations during the monetary policy meeting on May 19, 2022.
Ricafort attributed the faster April inflation to the damage of typhoon Agaton in southern Philippines that temporarily led to higher prices of food and other basic commodities, on top of higher prices of imported commodities amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict for more than two months.
“As a result, year-on-year inflation could reach a little over 5 percent by May-June 2022 and could average at least 4.5 percent for full year 2022, especially if the Russia-Ukraine conflict drags on,” Ricafort said.
Ricafort said for the coming months, risk of second-round inflation effects would be monitored, especially if there were any upward adjustment on wages and transport fares, as these could trigger higher prices of other affected products and services in the economy.
PSA said the increase in the country’s inflation was mainly brought about by the higher annual increase in the index for food and non-alcoholic beverages at 3.8 percent; transport, 13.0 percent; and housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, 6.9 percent.
Also contributing to the uptrend in the overall inflation during the period were the higher annual increments in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 5.9 percent; clothing and footwear, 2.0 percent; recreation, sport and culture, 1.6 percent; and personal care, and miscellaneous goods and services, 2.3 percent.
Meanwhile, annual upticks slowed down in the indices of health at 2.4 percent; and restaurants and accommodation services at 2.8 percent.
Following the trend at the national level, inflation in the National Capital Region rose to 4.4 percent in April, from 3.4 percent in the previous month. In April 2021, inflation in the region was observed at 2.4 percent.
Similar to the trend at the national level and in NCR, inflation in the provinces increased to 5.1 percent in April 2022, from 4.1 percent in March 2022. In April 2021, inflation in areas outside NCR stood at 4.5 percent.


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BIND 4.0 presents more than 30 Industry 4.0 success stories at its in-person Demo Day 2022 event
BIND 4.0 will hold its annual DEMO DAY 2022 event on 7 July, for the first time in person following the pandemic, at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao.
The BIND 4.0 DEMO DAY 2022 will showcase more than 30 Industry 4.0 disruptive projects undertaken in collaboration with startups and major industry companies, in the areas of smart industry, clean and sustainable energy, food and health. This is one of the industry's leading innovation events, bringing together important industry players in person, including leading major companies, startups, technology businesses and different experts in innovation as well as representatives of the main public institutions supporting the initiative, to generate networking and learn about the latest technological trends.
BIND 4.0 is a public-private Industry 4.0 initiative created by the Department for Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment through the SPRI Group, which has become an international flagship programme. Since the programme started in 2016, more than 160 startups have been accelerated and more than 240 projects have been undertaken, exceeding €7 million in turnover.
The Best of BIND 4.0:
BIND 4.0 success cases will be discussed in different presentations by the startups and the major BIND 4.0 trailblazing companies that carried them out, including: Sidenor, Arteche, Petronor, CIE Automotive, Mercedes-Benz, Eroski, DanoBatGroup, Ramondin, Tubos Reunidos, Uvesco, EDP, Angulas Aguinaga, Arteche, Artadi, Sarralle, Keralty, Ingeteam, Ulma, Obe Hettich, Osakidetza, RPK, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, ITP AERO and Iberdrola.
Industry 4.0 startups exhibiting at DEMO DAY 2022
The event will also feature a large physical exhibition space where the more than 25 startups participating in the sixth edition of BIND 4.0 will showcase their latest technological innovations. Exhibiting startups include:
Ancora, Arctic Sea, Bechained, Cooling Photonics, Deep Detection, Donomotics, EPowerlabs, Faradaic, Fuvex, Glucovibes, Heuristik, ImagoAI Inc, Ingeniería y Control Merasys, Innosep, Ipartic Consulting, Kaytek Digital Business, Legit.Health, Less Industries, Metis Labs, Nabla Vision SL, Nazca Ingeniería, Nymiz Software Company, Oreka Interactive, Recircular, Steering Machines, Trak, ViveLab Ergo.
Why attend BIND 4.0 DEMO DAY?
This in-person gathering is also an excellent opportunity to connect with the industry’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. Firstly, companies can learn firsthand about success cases and examples of collaborations between startups and leading companies; secondly, they can discover new trends and startups in industry 4.0. Furthermore, it is also an essential meeting point for the leaders of Industry 4.0, investors in search of new projects or startups specialising in next-generation technologies.


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We mentioned earlier that 2016 is going to be the year of Virtual Reality. And hell yes, it is happening now. Because, HTC revealed sell of 15000 HTC Vive VR headsets in 10 minutes after it went on preorder sale with headline as HTC Vive’s pre-order to begin on Leap Day, Feb 29th 2016.
HTC Vive VR headsets
Oculus Rift, the rival Product of HTC Vive made headlines about its availability at a price of $599. Maybe that’s why HTC has also rushed into making a similar decision so quickly. But both HTC Vive and Oculus Rift need a high performance desktop for a great virtual reality experience and that will require you to spend a couple of extra bucks from your pocket. The HTC vive VR headset costs $800 and requires a $1,000 PC as well.
Cher Wang, the CEO of HTC Corporation has also said that the company is going to shift its focus from Smartphones to Virtual Reality headsets. No wonder the CEO sees a future for her company in the Virtual Reality, because, Virtual Reality which was in dreams for the past two decades is actually happening now. “Virtual reality is something people have talked about for 20, 30 years, in movies, in books and finally it is real,” she told Telegraph. “VR has been on our minds for a long time, and now HTC has made virtual reality real.”
It is certain that Virtual Reality is going to rule for the next few years as the recent ventures in the area of Virtual Reality by the companies like Google and Samsung dazzled the techy world with a boom.
Alphabet’s Google Cardboard and Samsung’s Gear VR are already doing rounds in the market and the response is immense. And if all goes well, the year 2016 might turn out to be an important year in the history of Virtual Reality as three big guns (Sony, HTC and Facebook) have slated the launch of their respective VR devices in 2016.
Available on Amazon:
And therefore 2016 definitely going to make the gamers happy as the virtual reality is round the corner at an affordable price.
Source and image credit: Htc Website


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Brook looks fruity in this tangerine dress as she poses with boyfriend
It’s another stunning snap for the couple to add to their bulging
We brought you pictures earlier this week of the pair splashing
around in the sea and enjoying some sun.
But last night they decided to put some clothes on as they attended a gala
dinner in Ischia, Italy.
Curvy Kelly, 32, teamed her orange mini-dress with pointy gold shoes.
She wore her hair loose and showed off an impressive tan.
Rugby player Thom, 27, looked sharp in a smart grey suit and pink tie.
No wonder Kelly couldn’t keep the grin off her face all night.
But guests say that the brunette beauty was very well-behaved at the party
which was also attended by Italian actress Monica Belucci and Mamma
Mia star Dominic Cooper.
A source said: “Thom was happily working his way through the free wine.
“But Kelly was sticking to water all night.”


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Tupperware engages in a first-of-its-kind endeavour - ‘Care4Food Day’ on 6th April
By bringing people together to celebrate ‘Care4Food Day’ on April 6 every year, Tupperware envisions reducing food wastage and promoting pertinent food storage habits
Being the world’s leading food storage brand, Tupperware endeavours to preserve food. For over six decades, Tupperware has been caring for your food, keeping it fresh and safe. As a brand that truly cares for food, Tupperware has taken an initiative to spread awareness about the best food storage practices and to educate consumers on safe storage and safeguard of food items. It is in this endeavour that Tupperware engages to celebrate the care and love towards food in the form of ‘Tupperware Care4Food Day’, and has designated April 6th as its official celebratory day.
Tupperware believes that good health begins with well-preserved food, and thus in an effort to create greater awareness towards caring for food and reducing food wastage, has initiated a plethora of activities around ‘Tupperware Care4Food Day’ which seeks to encourage consumers to safeguard food. The initiative marks the introduction of novel ideas that can help preserve food for longer, thus helping in minimizing wastage and maximizing value. Creating a 360 degree activation module which includes promotion on varied mass media like Television, Print, Radio and Social Media; the ‘Tupperware Care4Food’ Day endeavours to reach out to the masses.
In the campaign, Tupperware has also created a ‘Care4Food’
Tupperware is also reaching out to people at various touch points to run an awareness drive against food wastage and encouraging people to sign up for caring for food through an “I-Pledge”
Ms. Asha Gupta, Managing Director, Tupperware India says “For us at Tupperware, food is sacred. Our products are designed to keep food fresh for longer, resulting in reduced food wastage. It has been a part of our vision to help each home make the most of their food by storing it well and eating healthy. Under the Care4Food initiative, each of our functions is aligned to achieve that vision.
“Food is a precious resource and should not be wasted. In today’s price rise and expensive lifestyle, it wprvr is essential that we try and save and be sensible in all our actions. Thus through this initiative, we hope to create greater awareness about correct ways to handle and store food so that we as a nation, waste as little food as possible.” she added.
To make the ‘Tupperware Care4Food’ initiative more relevant, Tupperware has also focussed on specific food storage ranges that help preserve food for longer durations, without losing their nutritional value and freshness. Range of products by Tupperware, which promote pertinent food habits feature the ‘FridgeSmart’
Also featured is the Tupperware’s ‘Freezer Mate’ range whose unique six-sided airflow design allows efficient freezing and defrosting, as well as saves space in the freezer thus helping one to store food during season and utilize it during offseason. It’s ‘Modular Mates’ range help keep condiments, snacks, pulses, cereals and grains safe, hygienic and moisture-free for long. Easily stackable and available in convenient sizes, this range brings better organization of shelves and offers a complete modular storage solution for the kitchen.
Mr. Anshu Bagai, Chief Marketing Officer, Tupperware India says, “By creating consumer connect programmes around ‘Care4Food Day’ we seek to inform them about various ways to keep food safe and avoid wastage. On the same tenet, we have also brought to the fore specific food storage products, which empower people to store food right and reduce wastage of cooked and uncooked food. Our effort is to introduce Tupperware products to every household; thus helping to reduce food wastage. As a brand that truly cares for food, we are proud to launch this initiative that has the potential of becoming a worldwide drive.”
“It is time that we educate the masses that when one stores food carefully and in the right way, then wastage of money and food can be minimized. One should remember that ‘food loves you and you need to return the favour’. Thus the need of the hour is to take a pledge against wasting food and promote healthy storage habits with Tupperware. Tupperware’s ‘Care4Food Day’ is a corporate strategy and a marketing strategy to educate consumers not only about our thought process but also about our products which will help one Care4Food”, he added.
Tupperware ‘Care4Food Day’ will be celebrated every year on April 6th, a day before the World Health Day, highlighting the pertinence of the occasion.


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Hero MotoCorp Company is going to bang again this festive season once again. Yes, the company is launching its 2 new scooters, which will be Maestro Edge 125 and Duet 125, respectively whereas the name of the Duet will change and it will be launched in the name of Destini 125.
Hero Maestro Edge 125:
125cc Segment is now slowly catching up in India. At the moment, many models have been launched. In this way, Hero is now preparing to bring his new Maestro Edge 125 to a new avatar. The potential X-show room price of this new model can be Rs 55,000. There will be new changes in this scooter, and with a strong engine, yes it will get a 125cc engine which will get a torque of 8.7bhp and 10.2Nm, apart from it, it will be equipped with i3S technology, the new model will be more stylish than ever before, and will include new graphics New colours will also be found along.
Hero Destini 125:
As we told you that the name of the company Duet will change to Destini 125 and it will also be launched with Maestro. It has been designed keeping Youth in mind and many good features will also be found in it. The potential X-show room price of this new model can be Rs 53,000. New designs will be available in the new Destini 125, as well as new colours along with new design.
They will compete with Hero's new Maestro Edge 125 and Direct Destini 125 will compete directly with the Honda Activa 125, from Honda Grazia TVS N Torque. All these scooters are well-liked in their segments. Now, after the arrival of the Maestro Edge 125 and Destini 125, customers will get more options.


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A new study estimates the average aluminium content of European produced cars to reach nearly 180 kg in 2019, meaning a 20% increase since 2016. The study from DuckerFrontier and commissioned by the European Aluminium industry association also forecasts the average aluminium content to further increase to almost 200 kg per vehicle by 2025. This is in line with the most positive scenario that was developed in 2016. The positive outlook and uninterrupted aluminium growth is largely attributed to aluminium’s role in lightweighting cars and as an enabler of electromobility.
The amount of aluminium used in cars is expected to see a significant increase by 2025, according to the third edition of the Aluminium Content in Cars study from DuckerFrontier. The study predicts that the aluminium content of cars produced in Europe will reach nearly 200 kg per vehicle by 2025, up from 179 kg today. This is in line with the most positive scenario developed by DuckerFrontier in 2016. The study also shows that electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles use significantly more aluminium than the average car.
Carmakers’ preference for aluminium is largely linked to its lightweight nature, making all cars more energy-efficient, no matter if it is a petrol, diesel or electrified vehicle. Due to its inherent strength and its excellent ability to absorb crash energy, well-engineered aluminium car parts can be made safer than steel but up to 50% lighter. Lighter cars substantially contribute to reducing CO2 emissions and improving fuel efficiency.
“Aluminium is a true enabler of electro-mobility. The combination of aluminium sheet, extrusions and castings bring perfect solutions for electric vehicles. Both as protection of the batteries and to reduce the weight of the vehicle to increase its performance or range,” said Dieter Höll, chairman of the Automotive & Transport Board at European Aluminium.
The study points to electrification as one of the main drivers for the future growth of the aluminium content in all product forms. Battery boxes, electric motor housings, but also body closures and body structures are highlighted as key applications for increased aluminium penetration in the future. Depending on the car segment, the average aluminium content per vehicle is forecasted to increase from at least 2.9 kg by 2025 in the A-segment and up to 38.0 kg in the D-segment.
The aluminium industry is closely collaborating with car manufacturers to drive lightweighting even further. Only during the last two decades, hundreds of new alloys have been developed to better answer to the demand of the vehicle manufacturers. Higher strength, better formability and improved energy absorption are a few of the areas the industry is focusing on. The aluminium industry is also investing in innovations that will help the transition to electro mobility. Charging stations, electric power cables and wind power plants are some of the products where aluminium is already playing an important role.
The study includes data from automotive OEMs and suppliers and European Aluminium member companies and has been developed by DuckerFrontier. It is based on a detailed analysis of the use of aluminium castings, extrusions, forgings, and sheets for 38 component groups and covering 95% of the EU28 car production in 2019.


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24th February was the day of the launch of Honor 7X and Honor 9 Lite in Pakistan, and it was launched in a star-studded event at Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi. Honor Pakistan partnered with Invoi Technologies to bring these two amazing devices in Pakistan. On the occasion many famous celebrities of Pakistani showbiz industry were present, Media and Bloggers were also invited to the launch event.
Mr. Chris Sun, the Vice President of Honor in the Middle East and Africa during the launch event said, “Pakistan has immense potential since it is one of the fastest growing markets in the region. The good thing about this market is that 70% of the population is under 30 years of age and a true representation of Honor.”
Mr. Zeeshan, CEO of Inovi technologies said, “We have worked with Huawei in the past and this time we are excited to work with such a young and energetic brand. We are positive and hopeful as the product lineup is promising.
“Honor is bringing four smartphones in its product line in Pakistan, Honor 9 Lite, Honor 7X, Honor 9 and Honor 5C Pro”
Honor also displayed a cricket campaign casting Muhammad Hafeez, Shadaab Khan, and Rumman Raees as ambassadors.
Mr. Denis, the Country head of Honor Pakistan while talking to the media said that the company will work more with the local talent in order to be closer to the heart of their consumers.
“This will also open up the opportunity to put our contribution in the local media and advertising industry. Our approach is aggressive and we are very clear with the roadmap which we have decided with our local partners and hopefully, we will have good results from this market,” he added.
This event was widely discussed on all social media platforms as well:
TCV of Honor Pakistan
Live from the Event
First Look of Honor 9 Lite shared on Twitter
— Pakistan PR (@pakprdotcom) February 24, 2018


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By Christine Muchira/Release
Leading video entertainment provider, DStv and integrated telecommunication solutions provider, Telkom Kenya, have partnered to offer Kenyans value on both entertainment and Internet at an affordable cost.
For every purchase of a DStv High Definition decoder, at a cost of KSh 3,800, a customer will get a free Orange WiFi router and 30GB free Internet bundles together with one month viewing of the DStv Compact Bouquet in a special promotion dubbed DStv Na Net.
“We listen to our customers to understand their changing lives and what matters most to them. The Internet has today evolved into a basic need as an essential for doing business, in addition to connecting with family and friends on social networks,” says DStv Sales and Distribution Manager, Steve Kombo.
“In this regard, it is therefore a key goal for DStv and Telkom Kenya to empower many more consumers to experience the best television entertainment on DStv and at the same time the most affordable Internet through easy and affordable access. It is also part of our contribution to the Vision 2030 that recognises the enabling role of ICTs and anchors some of its key aspirations upon the availability and adoption of broadband technologies for all.”
Telkom Kenya’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, George Mlaghui says the Telco is committed to providing innovative, accessible and refreshingly simple communications solutions to suit the everyday communication needs of Kenyans. “This Wi-Fi router, the Domino, is a high speed plug and play data product that supports up to 15 users. The free 30 GB Internet bundle goes to show that we have the customer at heart and want to give them the opportunity of trying out our data offering and making an informed long-term choice of Internet service provider, as a result of their experience on our network,” says Mlaghui.
“There has been an appreciation of the Internet’s use in the country, with the latest statistics from the Communication Authority of Kenya showing about 85% Internet penetration. The convenience of the Internet and its impact in simplifying the lives of our customers and Kenyans, makes this partnership with DStv, another demonstrable example of the Internet’s integration into everyday living,” adds Mlaghui.
“In an effort to offer them added value, we are committed to working through partnerships such as these to make our customers’ experiences better and more relevant whenever and wherever they engage with us. The DStv Na Net promotion will give our customers 1 month Compact bouquet to DStv viewing at the most affordable price and a convenient Internet connection for the home at the most affordable price,” said Kombo.
Customers can purchase the DStv HD decoder bundled with the Orange Wi-Fi router at Multichoice Service Centres at T-Mall, Sarit Centre and Greenspan Malls in Nairobi as well as all leading retail and dealer outlets countrywide.
Telkom Kenya customers can also subscribe to the Xcell data bundles due to their simplicity and affordability, giving subscribers the choice of buying the Xcell weekly bundles for KSh.990 for 15GB and the monthly bundles for KSh.2990 for 30GB. The Telco also recently dropped its off-net call rates for their bundled offerings of Holla Plus and Holla Premium to KSh 1.80 from the previous KSh 3.00.
The DStv Na Net offer will allow subscribers to view the best family entertainment at the most affordable price. DStv Compact opens up a world of Premier League and La Liga on SuperSport 11 & SuperSport 12, Sportpesa Premier League on SS9East, soapies for romance lovers with channels like Telemundo and Eva+, fashion and entertainment news on E! Entertainment, Spice TV and Fashion One, and local shows and movies on, Maisha Magic East and Maisha Magic Bongo.
DStv Cmpact also has movies for the whole family on Discovery Family, kiddies shows on popular children’s networks including Cartoon Network, CBeebies, Nickelodeon, Disney Junior, JimJam and Mindset Learn, 24 hour music channels on Trace Mziki, Trace Naija, Hip TV and Sound City, religious programming on Faith Broadcasting Network, Day Star, Emmanuel TV, Kingdom Africa, Islam Channel and EWTN and local and international news on CNN, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, CCTV and Bloomberg.


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The Redmi Note 2 is yet another Xiaomi smartphone that delivers good performance at a low price -- but those outside Asia however will have a hard time getting one.
Xiaomi's Redmi Note 2 has a pretty good camera, and here are the image samples from our tests to prove it.
The $150 5.5-inch phablet that first made its appearance in China in August will now be sold throughout the rest of Asia.
The Android 4.3 update for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has begun in India, but UK phone fans will have to be patient.
The Android 4.3 update for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is reported to be imminent, finally bringing new features from the Note 3.
Samsung's smart watch will soon work with its major mobiles -- as well as a host of others.
The Galaxy Note 3 is now on sale in Australia, but how does it compare to previous models?
French carrier SFR plans to kick off the OS updates in October, according to a timetable obtained by Android Community.
The Samsung Galaxy S4, S3, Note 3 and HTC One are set to update to the cutting-edge Android 4.3 Jelly Bean from October.
Samsung's phablet gets incremental changes compared with last year's model. So if you're looking for a deal on the Note 2, pay attention.


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M2 Pro and M2 Max Could Offer Massive Performance Leap Over M2
Apple's "M2 Pro" and "M2 Max" chips may deliver even bigger performance improvements over the standard M2 chip than previously expected, according to recent reports.
Following the way that the M1 Pro and M1 Max are built on the M1 chip, the M2 Pro and M2 Max could feature the same number of CPU cores as their predecessors, but add GPU cores and benefit from overall speed and efficiency gains. Beyond these improvements, it now looks like the M2 Pro and M2 Max will be built on a fundamentally different process to the standard M2 chip, leading to a considerable performance boost.
According to a recent report from Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes, the M2 Pro and "M3" will be the first Apple chips to be manufactured with TSMC's 3nm process. "Apple reportedly has booked TSMC capacity for its upcoming 3nm M3 and M2 Pro processors," DigiTimes claimed, in a report focused on competition between chipmakers like TSMC and Samsung to secure 3nm chip orders. As expected, the report added TSMC will begin volume production of 3nm chips in the second half of 2022.
In a recent newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said he expects the M2 Pro to be used in the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and a high-end Mac mini. As for the M3, Gurman expects the chip to be used in an updated 13-inch MacBook Air, an all-new 15-inch MacBook Air, a new iMac, and potentially a new 12-inch MacBook. Apple is also believed to be working on "M2 Ultra" and "M2 Extreme" chips for the next-generation Mac Pro.
In all likelihood, the M2 Max would also be manufactured based on a 3nm process if this report is correct. That chip would be suitable for the highest-end MacBook Pro configurations, and the Mac Studio if Apple chooses to update that computer within the next year or so.
While it was widely expected that the M3 would be fabricated with a 3nm process, it is more notable that the M2 Pro might be as well, given that the standard M2 chip that debuted in the new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro remains built based on TSMC's 5nm process. Both the M1 and M1 Pro chips share the same process, so the M2 and M2 Pro being built with completely different manufacturing processes would represent a change of course for Apple silicon. If DigiTimes's report is accurate, the performance delta between the M2 Pro and M2 could be much greater than between the M1 Pro and M1.
It is not yet known exactly when the first M2 Pro and M2 Max Macs will be released, but a report from Taiwan's Commercial Times suggests Apple plans to update its custom silicon chips for the Mac every 18 months, unlike the iPhone and Apple Watch, which get a new processor every year. In accordance with this timescale, the M2 Pro and M2 Max will debut in the first half of 2023. This timeframe broadly lines up with Gurman's expectations for the launch of new MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, which he believes will not launch until 2023.


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Mole Solutions’ subterranean transport system begins its first pilot program
Image Courtesy of Mole Solutions
After issuing a new set of proposed rules for domestic drones in mid-February, the FAA recently granted Amazon permission to start testing their fleet of delivery drones. While some picture a near future where our skies will fill with buzzing fulfillment copters, dropping books and iPads from the heavens like so much manna, a U.K. company is bringing next-generation delivery back down to earth—or rather, beneath it. Mole Solutions’ innovative concept for transporting goods involves sending capsules full of freight through a series of underground tubes. The capsules would run on an electric track, propelled by magnetic fields like maglev trains. If successful, the idea could cut costs in a number of ways, but, most notably, the system would bypass (and maybe even help clear up) the U.K.’s stupefying traffic problem—in London alone, congestion is thought to cost the economy more than eight billion dollars every year.


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Updated: 31 March 2020
We have taken the decision to temporarily close all of our stores as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. This means that at the present time we have temporarily paused all of our travel money services.
Unfortunately, our customer service team will not be in operation and are unable to respond to queries during this time. If you do have a query, you can email email@example.com and we will get back to you once we are able to resume our normal operation.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused, we hope to resume our normal service and welcome you back to our stores as soon as possible.
We wish you all the best during this time.
Thank you from all of us at No1 Currency
The No1 Currency Travel Money Card Mastercard® programme will be closed on Wednesday September 11th 2019 at 00.00a.m. (more…)
At No1 Currency we are committed to equality in the workplace for all employees, and are passionate about ensuring talent within the organisation reaches its full potential. In 2019, as part of a broader Government initiative we have published our gender pay gap results. (more…)
Fexco, the parent company of No1 Currency, today announced the acquisition of London’s leading retail foreign exchange (FX) company, Thomas Exchange Global (TEG). The deal strengthens Fexco’s position as the largest independent FX operator in the UK where it holds 12% of the growing £9billion market.
The acquisition of TEG which serves over 1 million customers in London across its 15 prominent branches also positions Fexco as the largest independent FX operator in the city. (more…)
At No1 Currency we are committed to equality in the workplace for all employees, and are passionate about ensuring talent within the organisation reaches its full potential. In 2018, as part of a broader Government initiative we have published our gender pay gap results for the first time. (more…)
The fast-growing foreign exchange specialist No1 Currency has acquired London firm CAC and six of its branches to become the largest dedicated foreign exchange provider on the UK high street.
The latest transaction crowns a year of rapid expansion and strong turnover growth for No1 Currency. The high street brand, which is owned by the Irish multinational financial services company FEXCO, has grown its UK network by over 40 branches in 2016 alone. (more…)


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A South Carolina woman filed a class-action lawsuit against Frontier Airlines.
She said she bought an all-you-can-fly pass, but the website only showed flights for the year 1904.
According to the complaint, Frontier refused to issue the woman a refund.
According to a complaint filed on August 17 in Colorado's federal court, South Carolina resident Jeriyma Hartsfield claims that Frontier's All You Can Fly Pass was a bait-and-switch scheme.
At the beginning of this year, Frontier launched its GoWild pass, which advertised unlimited flights to Frontier's destinations. The passes range in price based on the length of the pass. For instance, when Frontier first launched GoWild, travelers could buy a five-month summer pass for $399 or an annual membership for $1,299, Insider previously reported. Today, travelers can purchase a month-long pass for $149, a summer pass for $999, or an annual pass for $1,999, according to Frontier's website.
With the pass, travelers going to domestic destinations can book their flights one day in advance. If it's an international destination, they can book 10 days ahead, Insider previously reported.
However, according to Hartsfield, who is represented by Blake Abbott of the Anastopoulo Law Firm, she couldn't book flights and the pass didn't work as advertised. Among her complaints, Hartsfield states that Frontier's website displayed flights for the year 1904 and that the airline refused to issue her a refund.
Abbott did not respond to a request for comment on behalf of Hartsfield, and Frontier said it was unable to offer comment "given that the matter involves pending litigation."
Hartsfield says the all-you-can-fly pass was 'inoperable'
In the complaint, which was viewed by Insider, Hartsfield said she bought the pass for $599 on November 18, 2022.
"As with many things that sound too good to be true, they usually are," the complaint states, adding that the "defendants' program amounts to no more than a fraudulent scam."
According to Hartsfield, her pass was "inoperable." The complaint says that when she went to book travel arrangements, Frontier's website only displayed flights for 1904 — a year after the Wright brothers made history with their powered flight.
"In more detail, when Plaintiff attempts to use her Pass, the relevant booking year for available dates to use the Pass displays as the year 1904," the complaint states. "This ludicrous year value is somewhat laughable at first glance, given that it coincides greatly with the first known human flight in late 1903."
This continued for weeks, according to the complaint, and Hartsfield reached out to Frontier's helpline and spent "immense amounts of time" on hold with the airline.
Hartsfield requested a refund from Frontier since she was unable to book flights but was denied by the airline, according to the complaint. It also states that she filed the class-action lawsuit on behalf of herself and "all others similarly situated," and that other pass holders will come forward with similar stories.
According to the complaint, Hartsfield is requesting that Frontier stop marketing and selling passes that may be defective and issue full refunds for herself and anyone else who comes forward with an inoperable pass.
Frontier's GoWild pass has been controversial
Since it launched, travelers have had mixed experiences using Frontier's all-you-can-fly pass.
Denise Smith, a traveler who bought the pass, told NBC News that she successfully took five trips using the pass until it stopped working.
"Now unfortunately because I've purchased that pass and am unable to use, I have to book through regular airlines," Smith told NBC. "So I'm spending more money than I thought I would when I bought the pass."
She's not alone. After Frontier launched the pass, a Facebook group formed. Moderated by GoWild pass holders, travelers share their tips, headaches, and success stories of using the pass.
"First flight was a success and I already got my money out of the pass because these flights are normally always close to $600," one Facebook user wrote.
Meanwhile, a different user below shared her thoughts: "So done with Frontier...we lost $1,200 when we purchased our passes last November. And don't try getting any help from Frontier, they're not interested," she said.
This isn't the first lawsuit filed against Frontier this summer
According to a complaint viewed by Insider, a Frontier passenger named Amira Hamad is suing the airline after being charged $100 for an oversized carry-on bag, which she says fit within the stated size and weight limits on Frontier's website.
Additionally, Hamad states in the complaint that the airline's portrayal of itself as a budget airline is inaccurate.
"Frontier is not a budget airline. Frontier does not have the lowest airfares," the complaint states. "Frontier just breaks its fees into tiny little pieces and checkpoints to water down the appearance of what is actually an average airfare when combined and compared to the industry."
According to the complaint, Hamad is seeking a refund of the baggage fee, $10,000 for each alleged violation of Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and $100 million in punitive damages.
Read the original article on Insider


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Hoping to both stress test its servers and drum up an extra bit of pre-release hype, publisher EA has announced plans for a five-day beta test of its imminent cops versus robbers shooter Battlefield Hardline scheduled to begin on February 3.
“There’s nothing more valuable to our team than the relationship we have with our community. Their passion feeds our passion and their feedback has definitely helped make Hardline a better game,” said Battlefield Hardline executive producer Steve Papoutsis. “We want them to play the hell out of the beta next week and trust that they’ll keep that feedback coming so we can continue to fine tune the game.”
The beta test will be available on PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and on PC via the Origin digital distribution platform. No purchase is necessary to join the beta, but the file is likely to be a big download, so hopefully you have bandwidth to spare.


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Bridgestone revealed their brand new color electronic paper display technology earlier this week in Tokyo at a trade show and this display has something all the others don’t–support for pen input!
This display is made from the Bridgestone QR-LPD electronic powder, a color filter and the Wacom electromagnetic induction tablet. But unlike other e-paper displays, it also has a fast refresh speed to make pen input possible. The refresh rate is now 0.8 seconds as opposed to up to 15 seconds on the previous model.
We don’t know at this point how the company improved the panel but it seems to be related to the drive tech. This makes it possible for the pet to write smoothly on the display’s surface. We don’t know when this new Bridgestone display will be released or how much it’ll cost, but we’ll keep you posted.


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Right to Work
U.S. Department of Commerce data shows that BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant is the largest automotive exporter in the country. Since 1994, its first production year, the company has continued to invest and add models to the lineup of vehicles produced there, which now include the X3, X5 and X6 models, and with the $900M expansion underway, will add the new X4 — increasing total production to a whopping 350,000 vehicles per year. The company expects that 70% of the production will be exported to more than 130 markets worldwide. Once the expansion is complete, the plant will cover five-million square feet, employ 8,000 workers, and represent a cumulative $6.3B investment by BMW.
And all that without the UAW.
(article behind BMW Car Club of America pay wall)


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28th March 2022 - 2 min read
The consortium comprising of Axiata Group and RHB Bank has been named as one of the key bidders to win a digital banking licence from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). This comes as the central bank prepares to announce the winners of the five licences that are on offer soon.
Just last month, the governor of BNM, Tan Sri Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus had said that the central bank was in the “advanced stage” of assessing the applications for digital banks, and it aims to reveal the winners by the end of March 2022. This will be timed to coincide with the publication of BNM’s annual report.
Tan Sri Nor Shamsiah also said that the evaluation has to be thorough as BNM had received as many as 29 applications – one of which is from the consortium formed between Axiata Group and RHB. Aside from the Axiata-RHB consortium, other notable applicants include Grab, Sunway, BigPay, Genting, as well as the Sarawak state government. Most of these applicants are also comprised of joint ventures and consortiums with other entities.
The application for the digital banking licences first opened in January 2021, and BNM had emphasised from the get-go that it is looking for contenders who can cater to the needs of the unserved and underserved segment. It also highlighted that the new digital banks must be able to help people save for the future, as well as entrepreneurs in growing their businesses, especially with regard to e-commerce.
“We also expect the entry of these digital banks to accelerate the digitalisation of our incumbent banks. This will be good not just for the industry, but also for all of us here as customers of the incumbent banks,” Tan Sri Nor Shamsiah had stressed as well.
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According to ON World, safety and security products currently make up 30 percent of smart home devices. The fastest-growing product segments include video security cameras, smart doorbells, and smart smoke detectors, which together boast 162 percent sales increases when compared to 2014.
The members of Service Roundtable and Service Nation Alliance gathered for meetings, networking, and the company’s “trade show within a trade show” at the Sept. 13-18 event, held within the America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis.
Companies said relationship will improve quality and value for their respective customers
December 10, 2015
Direct Energy Home Services announced it will be the exclusive HVAC contractor for Alberta Home Services providing its customers with repair and replacement of HVAC equipment. Alberta Home Services announced it will be the exclusive duct cleaning contractor for Direct Energy Home Services.
Combination to provide whole home solutions for customers
December 7, 2015
Direct Energy®, one of North America’s leading energy and energy-related services providers, has combined its residential and home services divisions to create a single division, called Direct Energy Home™. The new division will focus on serving customers’ entire home, including providing energy and services, and more.
Making the decision to open another location is no small undertaking and involves finding the right people to staff the new location and doing a lot of research to make sure the new area can support another HVAC business.
The survey, which collected data from nearly 18,000 small business owners from around the U.S., compiled answers regarding a community’s overall business friendliness, regulatory environment, new-hire prospects, and more.
While older circulator pumps utilized single-speed motors and were largely inefficient, advances in motor technology, controls, and pump design have transformed the market and ushered in a new era of highly efficient products that feature variable-speed motors, easy installation and setup, remote connectivity, and more.


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Vu ‘Official Android TV’ Series Launched In India; Will Compete With Xiaomi’s Mi TV 4
To compete with Xiaomi’s recently launched Mi TV series, Vu Technologies has launched 4K LED TV in three screen sizes- 43-inches, 49-inches, and 55-inches
Vu Technologies on Tuesday (13 March) launched their Android TV series -Vu Official Android TV in India.
To compete with Xiaomi’s recently launched Mi TV series, Vu Technologies has launched 4K LED TV in three screen sizes- 43-inches, 49-inches, and 55-inches. The TV sets will be available from 16 March in India through Flipkart and Vu’s flagship stores.
The price of Vu Official Android TV starts from Rs 36,999 (43-inch) in India. The 49-inches and 55-inches models are priced at Rs 46,999 and Rs 55,999, respectively.
The Vu Official Android TV runs on Android 7.0 Nougat and has access Google Play Store, YouTube, Google Games, and the complete Google ecosystem. In addition to Google, Vu has also partnered with Video on Demand service providers like Netflix, Hotstar, and ALTBalaji for the content.
The smart TVs are powered by a quad-core processor coupled with 2.5GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. All three TV sets have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Ethernet connectivity, three HDMI ports, two USB ports, one headphone jack, one RF input and one AV component port.
The 4K Smart TV sets feature two 10W speakers which supports DTS TruSurround and Dolby Digital.
All three models come with the ActiVoice remote feature which helps users to search, browse and select in 88 languages. The ActiVoice Search intelligence is also enabled to search within apps and recommend results according to a user’s preference.
Devita Saraf, Founder and CEO, Vu Technologies, said, “The Vu Official Android TV is built on our most advanced technology with the highest quality of hardware and software.We are excited to redefine and re‐invent a user’s experience by introducing a pioneering and revolutionary product that combines quality picture and sound with certified and high‐end technology.”


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2018 European car sales growth will slow down, while the downturn in diesel momentum will intensify. Investors will see radical moves like the possible launch of Jeep, Alfa Romeo or Maserati, a subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler FCA, and the real hope will be that Volkswagen and Daimler (Daimler) with Audi and Porsche, or Mercedes-Benz trucks.
The new BMW 3 Series and Audi A6 sedans, the Jaguar E-Pace and the Volvo XC40 compact SUV, and the Ford Focus family will spark consumer interest while the EV may be more volatile.
Most analysts expect sales growth to slow next year, up from a 4% forecast at investment bank NordBlue in Western Europe to less than 1% at LMC Automotive.
Citigroup Research said there will be no bad thing in Europe by 2018, as it will be the 9th year after the financial crisis. Worries about a recession in Europe seem unfounded.
“We still see the potential for volume growth in Europe by 2018 but the main driver of output will be emerging markets where we have no confidence in the (economic) cycle to roll – unemployment is low, global GDP is synchronized and real incomes rise – but at the same time we Acknowledge growth is slowing, “said Michael Tederle, a Citi research analyst.
Tyndall said auto stocks led gains in 2017 as investors weaker concerns about the huge cost of new technologies and was excited about the possibility that FCA, Daimler and Volkswagen could become addicted to releasing investor value.
“Interestingly, FCA, Daimler and Volkswagen have been among the best performing Europe (manufacturers) in the past three months, and they are some of the most likely candidates for unlocking. This is a time for us. FCA It may take action in 2018, but we think this is expected, and the other two names we consider to be a longer term prospect, “said Tyndall.
“In key Western European sub-regions, which account for 79% of European car sales, growth will slow to 3.7% in 2018 and to 4.3% in 2017,” BMI Research said in a note.
Western Europe includes all major markets such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy.
BMI said: “However, we believe that the major economies in Western Europe, the rise of healthy inflation and employment will continue to provide important support for the growth of car sales.”
It said sales in the UK will fall.
LMC expects Western Europe to grow by 0.8% in 2018 to reach 14.44 million. It is estimated that Britain will become a drag on the market in the second half of the year.
But the chaos that fears Britain’s exit from the EU (Brexit) will eventually fall into the auto industry seems to have eased.
Professor Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer from Duisburg-Essen University Automotive Research Center (CAR) in Germany said that new products will help demand in 2018, though the decline in diesel sales will be a problem.
CAR lists new models that may emerge in 2018, such as the January Jaguar E-Pace, the March Volvo XC 40, May Peugeot 508, May Mercedes A-Class, July Volkswagen Touareg, A6 (July), Ford Focus (September) and BMW 3 Series (October).


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First the Cola Wars — Now the Search Engine Wars
Ah the eighties. Remember the good old “cola wars”? Well the marketing war being waged today is far beyond the likes of Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Welcome to the search engine wars. The search engine wars, however, have moved past including only the likes of Google, Yahoo! and MSN. The latest saga in the search engine wars involves Google and a non-search engine, Ebay.
Apparently, the ongong feud between Google and Ebay has hit the tipping point, with Ebay announcing today that it has pulled all of its advertising from the Google AdWords program. This action comes after Google threw a party during the Ebay Live conference in Boston earlier this week, possibly in the hopes of luring away customers. The crux of the issue seems to be that Google Checkout directly competes now with Ebay’s Paypal system.
According to an article in the Cleveland Leader, this rift may turn out to be a very expensive temper tantrum for both parties. The paper reports that Ebay ads account for approximately $25 million/year in revenue for Google, and conversely, Ebay certainly drove more purchasers to its site via AdWords, although no estimates were disclosed.
Who really suffers here? Not Google. Not Ebay. Both companies and their strong brands will independently survive this feud. The company that really suffers here is the small business that uses Ebay as a storefront. Those businesses often lack the brand identity and the marketing budget to gain the same level of exposure that they could achieve when Google and Ebay work together. No Ebay ads on Google leads to less Ebay traffic (whatever the amount). Less Ebay traffic means less potential buyers for businesses selling on Ebay. Can’t we all just get along?


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First things first with a full disclosure: Driving the recently launched Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 wasn’t an option, but the invitation was certainly extended to get behind the wheel of a new Gallardo and several fellow scribes did just that by showing up a few hours before last week’s grand opening celebration of Lamborghini Las Vegas.
Having test-driven the Gallardo LP560-4 a few years ago, we were more interested in the new brick and mortar Las Vegas home of the iconic Italian manufacturer. Now cradled in the solid foundation of the Findlay Automotive Group, Lamborghini Las Vegas will be the go-to dealership for Southern Nevada owners who drive the tony symbols of excellence, status and lifestyle.
“This is a great addition to the Findlay Automotive Group,” said Lamborghini Las Vegas and Audi Henderson General Manager Jim DiGuilio, who compared the nearly 3,000-square-foot Lamborghini Las Vegas showroom to a chic jewelry store.
“We wanted the cars to be the artwork, not the building,” DiGuilio said. “Our customers and the cars are the focus.”
DiGuilio also explained Lamborghini maintenance services will be performed next door at Audi Henderson by a certified Lamborghini technician who is “one of the best Lamborghini techs in the country.” Keep in mind, Audi AG (which is a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group) became the sole owner of Automobili Lamborghini in 1998, yet the tradition continues as one of the most desirable super sports cars in the business is still built in the small Italian village of Sant’Agata Bolognese, near Bologna.
“Las Vegas is certainly an important market,” said Lamborghini America Chief Operating Officer Wolfgang Hoffmann. “We want to establish meaningful relationships with our customers who are not only purchasing an exclusive car, but are also buying into a lifestyle and brand. Our customers are unique and so are our cars.”
The grand opening, however, was indeed a celebration of the three Lamborghini tenets (the cars are Italian, extreme and uncompromising). Because of the cozy confines of the actual Lamborghini showroom, which already housed an Aventador, Gallardo and recently restored 1968 400GT 2+2, outside accommodations offered elegant cocktails, gourmet appetizers and live entertainment for more than 150 guests.
Outside, the centerpiece was unquestionably the new V-12 flagship, the Aventador LP700-4. At $387,000, Aventador certainly fulfills Stephan Winkelmann’s, president and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., proclamation that the supercar has no competitor.
First introduced at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, the LP700-4 has been lauded for its remarkable achievements in technology, speed and design. It boasts a 700-horsepower, 6.5-liter, V-12 engine which, when combined with the vehicle’s lightweight carbon fiber chassis, accelerates from zero-62 mph in 2.9 seconds with a top speed of 217 mph.
With the addition of Lamborghini Las Vegas, the manufacturer boasts more than 120 dealerships worldwide, where it will continue to build on its succession of dynamic and elegant super sports cars including the 350GT, Miura, Espada, Countach, Diablo, Murciélago, Reventón Coupe, Reventón Roadster, Gallardo LP 560-4 Coupé and Spyder, Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera and the last open version LP 570-4 Spyder Performante.
Hoffmann, however, is most proud of the Aventador, which bears the name of a bull, a particularly courageous specimen from the world of the Spanish corrida.
“We created something that is perfectly balanced,” Hoffmann explained, noting the complete carbon fiber passenger section and lower center of gravity. “Nothing on this car is a carry-over part, meaning it’s all new. It’s a leap of two generations of development.”
Orders for the Aventador are sold out for 2012 with delivery dates now moving into early 2013, according to Hoffmann.


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Hong Kong Has New Boom-to-Bust Stock Mystery: Digital Domain
June 3, 2015 — 2:10 PM SGTUpdated on June 3, 2015 — 6:39 PM SGT
Digital Domain Holdings Ltd. became the latest Hong Kong stock to tumble after surging more than 500 percent in a matter of months, following declines in Hanergy Thin Film Power Group Ltd. and Goldin Financial Holdings Ltd.
The company, which owns a majority stake in the visual-effects producer for Hollywood movies including Iron Man 3, sank as much as 61 percent in Hong Kong Wednesday without an immediate explanation. The stock closed 41 percent lower amid record volume. Digital Domain was unaware of any reason for the drop, according to a regulatory filing, while the company declined to immediately comment in response to questions.The shares surged more than 1,500 percent this year through a May 19 peak, valuing the company at about $3.5 billion, or more than Hong Kong builder Hopewell Holdings Ltd. Wednesday’s plunge follows one-day declines of more than 40 percent in Hanergy and Goldin Financial last month. Speculation in Hong Kong-listed companies has increased since the city established an exchange link with Shanghai, according to shareholder activist David Webb.
“These kinds of stocks have no fundamentals and only rumors are moving the prices,” said William Fung, vice president at Southwest Securities Co. in Hong Kong. “In one day the dream can be gone.”
Digital Domain was nominated for an Oscar for its work on X-Men: Days of Future Past this year, but failed to win. The company had sales of HK$850 million ($110 million) in 2014.
As well as the media entertainment business, Digital Domain also has a property investment arm and a unit that trades metal scraps such as copper wire between Hong Kong, mainland China and other countries, according to its annual report.
Digital Domain’s previous incarnations under the 547 stock ticker in Hong Kong include Mansion Holdings Ltd., a fire prevention and fire-fighting systems company, and Sun Innovation Holdings Ltd., which scrapped a plan to buy mining assets in 2012.
Digital Domain Media Group Inc., the special effects company co-founded by Titanic director James Cameron, went public in the U.S. in November 2011, pricing shares at $8.50 apiece, before filing for bankruptcy less than a year later. A partnership of Chinese and Indian film companies bought the business, and then sold it to Hong Kong-listed Sun Innovation in March 2013. Sun Innovation renamed itself Digital Domain Holdings in December of that year.
Hanergy’s Hong Kong shares tumbled 47 percent on May 20 before trading was suspended, erasing about $19 billion of market value and ending a more than six-fold surge over the previous 12 months. The city’s markets regulator confirmed on May 28 that it’s investigating the solar company.
A day after Hanergy’s plunge, Goldin Financial Holdings Ltd. and Goldin Properties Holdings Ltd., controlled by billionaire Pan Sutong, slumped more than 40 percent. Before the rout, the two stocks soared more than 300 percent in 2015 for the biggest gains on the Hang Seng Composite Index.
Virtually no analysts tracked by Bloomberg covered any of the four companies.
“The level of speculative activity in the market varies over time and at the moment it’s very high,” said Webb, the Hong Kong-based founder of Webb-site.com. “It’s partly because of the expected arrival of mainland capital from the through train.”


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Demonstrations target major retailers around the country for economic and racial justice
JAISAL NOOR, TRNN PRODUCER: Daily protests are continuing nationwide after a November 24 grand jury decision to not indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson for killing unarmed black teen Michael Brown. On November 28, those protests coincided with nationwide rallies against Black Friday.
This year, stores opened on Thanksgiving and remained open on the Friday after–a traditional holiday known for throngs of shoppers camping out for days and getting into fights for the best shoppings deals of the year.
As protestors shut down malls in several cities across the country in solidarity with Ferguson, as many as 1,600 Walmart stores faced their largest Black Friday protests yet, by the union-backed group Our Walmart, with demands including living wages and the right to unionize.
CROWD: Black lives matter! Black lives matter!
NOOR: In Ferguson and nearby St. Louis, acts of civil disobedience forced a mall to close down. Arrests were made in New York, Oakland, and Chicago. In New York, protestsors marched down 6th Avenue and through Macy’s store. In the Bay Area, several protestors were arrested as they shut down a BART train. Later that night, protestors clashed with police in San Francisco. In Washington, a march shut down the D.C. area Beltway.
Walmart released this statement on their website in response:
“The crowds are mostly made up of paid union demonstrators and they do not represent our 1.3 million associates who do work for Walmart in the US. (…) It’s unfortunate that this group attempts to disrupt the holiday spirit to push their agenda. The reality is that Walmart is focused every day on providing our associates with opportunities for job growth.”
Walmart is owned by the Walton family, who own more wealth than 40 percent of Americans combined.
On the heals of a nationwide strike by Walmart workers in June of this year, The Real News, reported on a Demos study that found that women are disproportionately impacted by the company’s pay scale and that Walmart could pay its workers $25,000 a year–which is equivalent to $15 an hour full-time–without charging customers more. The Demos report found that women make an average hourly wage of $10.58 at Walmart are disproportionately represented in low-wage retail positions and face unstable and inconsistent work hours, even with full-time positions. The study found that a wage floor of $25,000 per year at major retailers would amount to a 27 percent pay raise and, quote, “would lift hundreds of thousands of women and their family members out of poverty, and hundreds of thousands more would emerge from near-poverty.” With 7.8 million women predicted to join the industry over the next decade, the wage increase would add $17.73 per year to the average household shopping bill, or just $0.17 per shopping trip. They said this wage increase is affordable for large retailers, representing only 1 percent of total annual retail sales.
On Sunday, members of the St. Louis Rams football team demonstrated briefly in solidarity with Ferguson.
From Baltimore, this is Jaisal Noor.
DISCLAIMER: Please note that transcripts for The Real News Network are typed from a recording of the program. TRNN cannot guarantee their complete accuracy.


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Will it ever actually happen?
Before we get caught up in silly Apple Car jokes about it asking for your iTunes password before you set off, nobody has really wondered about what Apple CarPlay could look like on a massive infotainment screen. Thankfully, a recent 9TO5MAC article showcases graphic designer John Calkins who recently stopped wondering and designed his own version of what the user interface could look like.
We’d be remiss not to mention that Apple has been in talks with more than just Tesla – rumor has it that Hyundai could be on the cards as well – and that years ago Tim Cook turned down a meeting about buying Tesla. However, let’s push that aside for now because this is simply a fun experiment dreaming about what experience the Apple infotainment system could offer.
For some perspective, 9TO5MAC mentions that the Model 3 already utilizes a 15-inch touchscreen which is comparable to bringing a MacBook Pro into a car and blending in the required functionalities. As such, the left side of the screen appears to keep the same CarPlay features that existing users will come to expect – along with climate control, lane assist, and other basic vitals – while the right side allows more tactile interaction with the applications.
One of the clear focal points of the large screen is the ability to watch tv shows and movies from the comfort of your own vehicle. We know that Tesla vehicles can already do this, but the pumped-up CarPlay system will also bring the ability to watch Apple TV exclusive shows.
In the meantime, let’s wait and see if the Apple ecosystem will continue expanding into the automotive world. We can’t be certain what the future holds, but it’s clear that this concept is mighty promising.
John Calkins via YouTube, 9TO5MAC
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